Bookworm Club

Quote of the week

‘You have to dream before your dreams come true.’
– Abdul Kalam

Laugh Out Loud!

Why is England the wettest country?

Last week’s answer:
Because there are a lot of ‘sand’wiches

Rest in Peace

The Missile Man

Last week, the whole world was saddened by the tragic death of Abdul Kalam, the former 11th president of India. Not only was he a great leader, but also a humble human being and even a great teacher that no one will ever forget.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, was a scientist, politician and author, born in Rameswaram, India, with four other siblings. He started working during his teen years to help his family financially as the only income they got was from a ferry that his father had built, which was later destroyed by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

He had his education at Ramanathapuram Schwartz Matriculation School and St. Joseph’s College. He later went on to study at the Madras Institute of Technology, where he graduated as a scientist.
A few years later, Kalam joined the Defense Research and Development Organization and the Indian Space Research Center, where he got involved in the development of ballistic missiles. Little by little, he started going towards the political side and was given the presidency of India on July 25, 2002. He stepped down from this post in 2007.

Kalam became a visiting lecturer afterwards and travelled around the world. He even came to Sri Lanka in June for a symposium on the topic ‘energy’ at the Hilton Colombo, where a thousand people showed up. His main aim was to create awareness of the energy that is being wasted and to show people what our planet Earth would be like in 2020.

Abdul Kalam passed away on July 27, during one of his lectures at Shillong, India, due to a massive heart attack. His body was taken to his hometown shortly after, and was buried at the Pei Karumbu Ground on 30. Although he may not be with us in person, he’ll always be in our hearts as ‘the Missile Man’.

Dr. Abdul Kalam at the Energy Symposium at Hilton Colombo, Sri Lanka

Creative Corner

Calling out all the Bookworms across the country!
Welcome to Creative Corner where all creativity and fun exist. Each week we’re giving you the opportunity to write a short story or a poem related to the given topic and the best story or poem will be featured in our page next week (or the week after). So grab your pens, notebooks and thinking caps and let your imagination do the rest. And don’t forget to send it to The Nation when you’re done.
Happy writing Bookworms!
Topic: Ghosts
Deadline: August 19, 2015

Cartoon Corner

Kids’ Corner

Fun book to readThe Enchanted Wood – Enid Blyton

Book of the week
For One More Day – Mitch Albom

Teens’ Corner

Writings of India’s President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam
“Wings of Fire: An autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam” is an autobiography written by former President of India,the late Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari. In this, Kalam narrates his early life and the hardships he had to face during his journey towards becoming a pioneer in Indian space research and nuclear and missile programs.

The book was published in 1999 by Universities Press and the paperback edition includes 180 pages. It was first published in Engilsh and since then has been translated into 13 languages which includes several major Indian languages, Chinese and French.

In this book, the former President of India narrates his life story beginning from his childhood through seven sections; Preface, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Orientation, Creation, Propitiation, Contemplation, Epilogue.

India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium
“India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium” was written by late APJ Abdul Kalam and Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan. In the book, Dr.Kalam discusses the strengths and weaknesses of India and provides a briefing on an action plan to develop India by 2020. It was published in 1998 and includes 300 pages and 12 chapters. The book is dedicated to a young girl Kalam met, who has stated that her dream was to “live in a developed India”.

Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India
“Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India” is a book written by Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam. It was published in 2002 and includes 205 pages and nine chapters, through which the former president of India discusses the growth of India and ideas to develop the nation. The book has been dedicated to another young girl whom Dr.Kalam met, Snehal Thakkar, who , upon being asked who their enemy was, has stated that “Our enemy is poverty.”